Marc Maron is me. Questions? We good?

How bad did you want to punch James Franco in the fuckin' head?

I just wanted him to lighten the fuck up.

Marc - Thanks for giving Pete Holmes a reason to do an AMA.

I love your podcast. It has to be the highest regarded podcast in comedy communities all over the country. That's crazy - a couple decades ago, young comic's heads were swimming with ideas of getting on The Tonight Show. Now I imagine there are myriad young guys like myself who imagine themselves getting interviewed by you and seeing that as a huge benchmark. How does it feel to go from almost struggling to having such a powerful influence?

If you could interview any dead comic or historical figure, who would it be?

I don't think of myself as having power or influence. I just work in my garage. I answered the dead guy thing above.

Who is that one comedian that will not come on the show? You mentioned him in passing in the early days but not recently. I think I had it figured out to be Adam Sandler but I can't remember. Is there anyone you pissed off so bad back in the day that they will never do your show?

Tosh doesn't want to because he doesn't want to. Not for any anger reasons. I don't know... wait. You're thinking of Jon Stewart. He won't do it.

Is there a reason Stewart won't do it? I'd like nothing more than to hear you two geniuses talk.

I was a dick to him, a lot, when we were younger. He remembers that and doesn't like me. I get it.

Hey Maron,

Did you have any blow back from your ladyfriend because of Margaret Cho's description of your penis?

No. I told her about it.

Do you notice the changes to your voice/vocab when you speak to different guests? Jewy when speaking with a Jew, lots of "Man" and "Cat" when talking to musicians. I get a kick out of listening for it. Maybe this will ruin it and make you too self aware now....whoops.

Love the new show!

I know I 'Zelig' a bit. Happens.

How did the Gallagher interview wind up going down how it did?

he got riled and thought I was sandbagging him with an agenda which maybe I was a bit but he should've been able to take it. He thinks he invented everything and if you argue with him about anything he gets upset.

Has there been any contact with him or his management since?

Nope.

Marc, thanks for keeping me company on my daily commute.

1. I'm coming to your Milwaukee show. My wife can bake her fucking ass off. Would you like: A) Peanut butter chocolate brownies, B) chocolate brownies with mint frosting, or C) chocolate ginger snaps?

2. If you could interview 5 dead comics, who would they be? I've composed that list in my head for you a few times. I'd strongly consider including Kinison, just to hear shit go down.

3. I used to do comedy, and now I work advertising. Please insult me! It would mean a lot.

4. Where did you used to live in Astoria? I lived at 40th and Astoria Blvd for a while. Just curious.

That's all. See you in Milwaukee. I'll be the midwestern-looking guy with a beard.

Ginger snaps. Kinison, Hicks, Pryor, Lenny and Carlin

What's the deal with your relationship or lack of, with Pete Holmes? Birbigs seems to be caught up in it too.

Pete is like a fungus or a puppy.

Marc,

I just want to say thanks. Thanks for opening up your head and your heart to so many of us. I'm a better person for listening.

Aw. Thanks.

Fuck yes, Marc Maron. Thanks for doing this. Three questions

1. What types of guests can we expect on the podcast in the future? I liked the Coop episode and would love to see more visual artists on the show.

2. Once the show gets renewed for season 2, who would you like to have on it? I've already heard you promise appearances from Amy Schumer and Sam Seder. Can I make a request for Steven Wright. The image of him wandering around your neighborhood looking for your house makes me smile so intensely.

3. Can you start using "laser" and accuse Pete Holmes of stealing it? Please

Thank you for the hundreds of hours of entertainment. boomer lives.

I want to do more guests from all different arts. So, yeah on that. Steven Wright is a great idea. Holmes will hit a wall with the 'I stole Marc's things' schtick eventually. Laser.

Hey Marc, I loved your previous appearance on the Comedy Bang Bang podcast and I was wondering if you are planning on doing that again any time soon.

Also thanks for everything thing you do, buying the premium WTF app was one of the best purchases I've ever made

I think we recorded one a while ago to come out this week or next. So, yeah.

Can you tell us about any of the times you drunkenly made out with Louis CK?

Wow. I have no recollection of that. You better ask him.

Marc, The Denial of Death is now one of my favorite books thanks to you. What other books would you consider must reads?

I like my friend Sam Lipsyte's books. He's great. Really. Hilarious.

The J Mascis interview & performance was amazing. What is your favorite Dinosaur Jr Album/Song?

Bug and Green Mind. It was real thrill talking to that guy and watching him play was fucking astounding.

Mr. Maron, love the podcast and stoked for the show. What kind of kitty litter do you use?

World's Best.

Marc, I don't have cable...I won't get it any time soon either. I saw your episode of Maron online, and I loved it. Can we expect Maron to be available on Netflix any time soon?

Also, the Stern interview was great today...looking forward to you in the studio again.

I don't know, actually. I will find out.

Thanks, it was really great meeting that guy and talking to him. I was nervous but he was very cool and connected.

Hey Mark, I'm a big fan of the podcast. I wanted to throw out a question.

How do you think awareness of the process of being a stand up comedian will effect younger comics, or has already effected them.

By that I mean we live in a world of constant blogging, podcasting and tweeting. All this information about the difficulties of being a standup, and the long process of finding your comedic voice. What effect do you think it has had or will have on up and coming comedians.

Also, big thanks for the John Darnielle interview. I'm a huge Mountain Goats fan and that interview was really fascinating.

I don't really know. There is nothing easy about a life in comedy and I imagine only people who can live it will do it. That doesn't change.

Marc, HUGE fan... listen to every episode, so thank you for what you do. Anyways, I have noticed that some of your guests only really start to loosen up and become more raw near the end of the podcast, are there any guests you would like to have on again to maybe build upon what you did in the first episode?

Maybe. Good observation.

[deleted]

Just figure how to be up there.

If you could plug one artist/comedian/performer that not many people know about, who would it be and why?

Sam Lipsyte and Tom Scharpling. They are both hilarious geniuses.

Marc, with podcasts becoming a more viable medium for artistic expression and the popularity of podcasts continuing to grow, do you worry about the market becoming overly commercialized and losing it's integrity much like what has happened with network television? And, as the industry continues to grow, do you worry about your own integrity with the possibility of becoming both a satirical comedian and a successful entrepreneur?

Thanks for doing this AMA, big fan of the show.

I don't know. I choose and do all of my own ads. I know it gets annoying but it's still up to me. I don't think what you are saying will happen until podcasters start surrendering control of their shows.

[deleted]

There's a lot of people I want to interview on all levels. Iggy, Newhart, David O. Russel, Ferrel. tons. I will be back in ATL soon.

What is/was your favorite restaurant in Astoria (or NYC in general)?

I like eating at the Neptune Diner.

I remember seeing you on Late Night like every other week back in the day (bit of an exaggeration). Your Conan interview on WTF is to this day one of my favorites. What is your relationship like with Conan outside of your interviews with each other?

There isn't one.

Hi Marc! Big fan of the podcast, and I caught the episode of Maron on IFC’s website and really enjoyed it! I constantly find myself turning off the TV, internet and video games in favor of your podcast, which is no small feat for a young person of the “millennial” generation like me.

Anyway, my question is probably one that you get a lot, but I imagine a lot of people here are wondering the same.

Any chance you will ever have Jerry Seinfeld and/or Larry David on WTF? They would obviously fit in well with the veritable pantheon of comic legends you have already had on the show.

Also, are there any other comics/entertainers you’ve wanted to come on the show but have declined?

PS- Your recent Fresh Air interview was amazing- Teri Gross seemed to be totally geeking out over you! That’s so meta…

PPS- BOOMER LIVES

I would love to have either of them. They are hard for me to get hold of directly.

How many cats are actually at the cat ranch? Also in the show, is that the real garage or just a set? Also just a comment - I love your book so far -

I have two cats now. Monkey and LaFonda. Boomer is gone. There's a deaf Black Cat wild stray and striped one that hang out. Glad you dig the book.

If you weren't a comedian, what career or vocation do you think you might have pursued?

Chef or teacher.

Hey Marc I'm halfway through reading your book (very, very good, by the way), and that part about you meeting Lou Reed at a cd signing, how you were nervous and felt like you needed to make some kind of impression- have a connection with him, I was just wondering how does it feel to be on the other side of that?

I don't always notice it. When people tell me that I get it.

Marc, Why or what happened to make you decided to start doing a tv show based on your life?

It's something you want to do as a comic. Doing it your own terms is preferable. When i got the opportunity to do that, I took it.

As a cat parent myself, I really felt for you when you lost Boomer. It made it a bit hard to listen to your podcast for a while, because you just seemed very affected by the situation and I felt sad for you.

Was it difficult to soldier on and continue joking around with your interview subjects while you were hunting for Boomie?

Yes. It happened the day we started shooting the TV show. It was awful. It's still hard to go out on the deck where he used to hang out.

Hey Marc, I love your podcast. It makes exercising suck a lot less, for real.

Do you feel like Twitter and other social media has changed the comedy field? For better or for worse, if so?

Love Twitter. It all has changed the relationship we can have with people who dig what we do and people who hate us.

What's Eddie Pepitone like in bed?

He screams.

Hey Marc,

I don't write that often, but for a thoroughly rationalized reason. I am incapable of going back to something I've written and not hating it. It can be a tweet, or a text I thought was funny, or an actual, less retarded attempt at writing. Do you encounter this while developing material, or working on books? How do you overcome it?

Yeah, I get that. You just have to let it go or realize that it was a different time for you. Beating yourself up is a waste of energy. I do it but it serves no purpose.

Wasn't Ed Asner originally cast as your dad on the series? What happened there?

He wasn't available when we went to shoot the series. He was doing a play.

Whatever happened to Frankie Bastille? Also, Boomer lives!

Bastille is dead. Boomer might be too. I chose to not think that.

How is 'Marc' in 'Maron' different than the real you? What changes did you apply to make him work as a character?

Well, that guy is limited to a life that happens in ten 22 minute increments.

I never got to listen to the Dane Cook episode, what happened? P.S. Would you interview Carlos Mencia again? P.P.S. You're great.

Dane was fine. I was kind of a Dick. I probably wont interview Carlos again.

How do you imagine your life turning out had you had 20 years ago the success you're having now?

Probably dead before the 20 year mark or I would've ruined it somehow.

What percentage of a comic's success would you say comes from stage personality?

Most of it, usually.

Hey Marc-

I am a big fan of the podcasts that you do with Tom Scharpling. Any more Marc and Tom shows planned in the future?

Yeah, we have one in the can. Will get it up soon.

Marc, love the podcast. I am super excited for the new show and cannot wait for the book to show up at my house.

Question: What would you say is the biggest evolution you've seen in your stand up over the years?

People can find their audience on their own now.

Marc! Love your fucking show man. I was a listener from the very beginning and was hooked by your first episode's tales of partying with Sam Kinison. I was wondering if you feel that as you get mentally healthier that you lose some edginess? It seems to me that as time goes on and you continue to get more successful that you are calmer and less neurotic than you used to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you. But is it harder to be funnier when you are happier? Seems like a weird question, now that I'm asking it, but I'll ask anyway.

It's actually been easier for me. I have more control over the funny when I'm not freaking out.

How is your relationship with your brother? Would you ever have him on as a guest to talk about what it was like to grow up together?

We're good. We get along well. I would have him on. He's a bit heavy sometimes though. Emotional dude.

Watched the first episode of show online and loved it!

Quick question: How crucial is the success of the show to you? Are you worried that the show may not find an audience or are you just happy that the show is on the air?

I was thrilled to do it. I didn't think that would happen for me. I'm proud of them. We'll see what happens.

Has Jessica heard the Margaret Cho in Vancouver episode yet? was she mad? :-)

She knows. She's cool....for now.

What would your job/passion be in an alternate timeline?

Being a chef.

Hey Marc! I was wondering if you ever dread meeting people you admire. I know you were really nervous about the Mel Brooks interview (loved the bit you put in where you walked in to his office to set up and he was already in there). I always get nervous to meet people I admire because I feel like I will embarrass myself (I met you last year and had that feeling, hard to explain). Have you ever had an experience where you felt terrible after you met/interviewed someone?

I just hope I am pleasantly surprised and not disappointed.

Hey Marc. Big fan!

I saw you in Austin in an outdoor arena right down the street from where Feist was putting on a show and you had to fight through her (surprisingly) loud band to do your set. Is that the worst type of room to play?

Yes, but the worst is a room with no one laughing.

I read in a review of one of your shows "the performance often felt a bit like a therapy session where we, the therapists, were allowed to laugh directly at the patient." Do you agree with that statement? (mind you this is from Edinburgh 2007 so you may have been in a totally different place back then).

Follow up question: Did Edinburgh change your relationship with Kirk Fox (if there was any)? I feel like you and him may have been kindred spirits at one point but fell out or grew apart. Is that the reason why he hasn't been a guest on your show? Will you ever 'make good' with Kirk?

I've asked him to come on. He hasn't wanted to yet. I hate the therapy analogy for comedy. I think it trivializes what we do.

Hi Marc,

Thanks for taking the time to do this. Big fan of your work!

-Who have been some of your favorite guests on your Podcast?

-Also, which comedians did you look up to when you were first starting out?

There's very few WTFs that I don't really love. I looked up to Richard Pryor and Woody Allen a lot when I was younger.

First and foremost thank you for doing this AMA! Love your comedy and podcast!

• Besides podcasting, what are you working on currently?
• How were you approached to be the voice of Magnus Hammersmith on Metalocalypse?
• What do you like about podcasting as compared to radio?
• You are one of the reasons I've started podcasting. Would you be interested in being a guest on my podcast to nerd out about entertainment? We're getting Corolla and Smith on soon and would love to have another titan of podcasting on!

Thank you again for this AMA and look forward to response!

Brendon Small asked me to do Magnus.

Do you miss hating George W Bush?

No.

Hola Marc -

I tried to go to your show when you were in Atlanta, but as you accurately described it on the Nerdist recently, couldn't explain you to my wife. She got mad when I didn't want her to go. Then I didn't go because I have no spine.

How would you describe you and your comedy to my wife, so that I can go alone or properly prepare her?

and FUCK Patton, right?! RIGHT?! RIGHT!?!

(Boomer Lives)

Tell here I'm a guy you relate to and listening to me helps your relationship with her. How you explain that after she watched me I don't know.

Hi Marc! I saw your WTF panel in Austin and loved how genuinely respectful and awed you were of Maria Bamford (and rightly so). Do you think female comedians will ever become 'legends' like Carlin, Hicks, and Pryor instead of the 'eh, she opened doors and was pretty and she's funny for a girl' crap?

Thank you!

Elise

I hope so. She's the best! A real original. Very courageous.

When are you coming to Canada next?

Working on it.

Who is the best young comic out there that I've never heard of? Is this question impossible to answer because comics passive-aggressively all hate each other?

Nate Bargatze.

Any more plans for collaborating with Tom Scharpling again? PS The Matt Graham interview was astounding.

Anytime we can, will.

Hey Marc,

This isn't a question, as you can probably tell by the lack of a question mark. I read your new book yesterday and may have fallen in love with you. You're pretty self-deprecating but also needy, so I thought that might be nice to hear. Also, I dig what you've got going on with your facial hair.

Thanks, I'm glad you dug the book. I worked hard on it. And yes I'm a little needy. Just a little. Okay, alot.

Hey Marc. I love your podcast and your stand up. But again, for the life of me, I can't know of anything good I can ask you. So in an attempt to get your attention, I'll ask something basic. Because I would hate myself, if I did not try to ask you something.

Who is something you would like to interview, but you have no chance of doing so(either because they are deceased or some other reason)?

William Burroughs. Dead.

Every now and then you mention reading comic books or someone mentions that you have a lot of them, but you never get into titles.

What are some of your favorites?

It was a while ago that I read them. I was a big Hellblaizer and Sandman fan when they first came out. Swampy too.

Who are your favourite up and coming stand ups on the scene right now and do you think LA is a good scene to come up in?

I get a kick out of Nate Bargatze.

I just started listening to your podcast and love it! I'm sure you get this question a lot and it's probably already been asked but what are you like as opposed to who you are in IFC's new show. Is there really a difference personality wise? Also, what got you into podcasting in the first place? (oops this is two questions!)

Obviously the me on the show is a bit more limited than the me in life--desperation drove me to podcasting.

Your book is fucking great. I am aware this is not a question.

Thanks.

Hey, big fan of the podcast, why do you like cats so much!? I guess I just prefer an emotionally shallow animal...

Because you have to earn their respect.

Hey Marc:

Just wanted to say love the show and that you're one of the best conversationalist interviewers I've heard. The ease you put your guests into really lets us see how they are normally, and I'm grateful to be able to hear that. Being away from home, listening to your and a few other podcasts makes me feel really grounded for at least an hour or so. Thanks.

I wanted to ask: who can we expect to see in the next couple weeks or who are you trying to get on the show in the near future?

How difficult or different was it writing a book? Did you feel that you could just sort of talk through the keyboard easily or was it more of a process than your normal trade of actually talking?

Gillian Jacobs, Allison Brei, Huey Lewis, Kevin Christy, and more.

I know you and Patton have a fun play-fighting relationship. Is it the same with Michael Ian Black? Full disclosure: I saw your WTF show in Austin last week.

Also podcast guest suggestions (because I know you love guest suggestions): ?uestlove, Dan Savage and Rupaul

that's just what me and MIB do. I don't know why. I try to get around it we end up in it.

What has been the interview that has given you the most satisfaction thus far in your podcasting career? Why did this particular one strike you as different?

The Todd Hanson interview took me somewhere I had never been. Being there for him to do that changed my life.

Just wanted to say I've been listening to WTF for a few years, it turned me on to podcasts in general and you've opened my life up to stand-up comedy, a world that I otherwise would not have known. The Todd Glass episode was amazing!

You've interviewed some incredible people, are there any people you interviewed that you were really nervous beforehand? I mean, really nervous; shaking, unsure of how to conduct yourself, or found yourself blanking when talking to them?

Yes. Many. John Cale recently made me pretty nervous.

Hey Marc! Congrats on the IFC show, and thanks for keeping WTF running. It's saved me a fortune on therapy.

Quick question: Did you talk to Pepitone after the SXSW episode? That outburst of his was enormously entertaining as a listener, I'd love to know if you two discussed things later.

Thanks.

Boomer Lives.

It was beautifully timed. We laughed about it later.

Hey Marc, weird timing. I literally just sent you an email about an hour ago. The bulk of which consisted of me expressing my concern and offering a bit of advice about a personal matter you’ve mentioned on the podcast a few times (which I hope doesn’t come across as so presumptuous and inappropriate once you read the whole email) followed by a lot of the standard fan mail gushing about how much I love your work. I’ll copy and paste the only two actual questions I asked below because they probably have a better chance of being answered here than amongst everything else in what I imagine is an incredibly full inbox.

Some of the most interesting and moving WTF guests have been the friends and partners of comedians who have passed away. It’s been fascinating to hear about people like George Carlin, Sam Kinison, Andy Kaufman and Mitch Hedberg from those who were closest to them. I’d love to hear an episode like this devoted to Bill Hicks. You've mentioned that you knew Bill personally although I’m not sure how well. It would be great to hear an interview with someone like his friend and ‘Agent of Evolution’ biographer Kevin Booth. If he can’t do it I know Bill’s brother is quite passionate about preserving his legacy too. Maybe even one of the other Texas Outlaw comics would be appropriate, I recall the late Ron Shock sharing some great stories about Bill during your interview with him and I’m sure there’d be more than enough of such stories out there to fill a whole episode. Obviously there are a lot of other tragic heroes of comedy that never made it to your garage, too many to name, although Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor immediately come to mind. What do you think? Are you planning on continuing the tradition of posthumous What The Fucks?

Do you plan on returning to Australia in the foreseeable future? You kicked ass at the Melbourne International comedy festival in 2011.

While I have the opportunity to ask you questions, here’s few more. Feel free to answer any or none of the following:

What’s your favourite movie? Novel? Ben & Jerry’s flavour? Historical figure? Comedian? Podcast?

Do you have a dream guitar and if so, do you own it?

Are there any upcoming episodes of Maron that you’re particularly proud of?

What’s going on with you and Jon Stewart? I know you had a falling out a while ago which led him to turn down your offer to be on the podcast but a commenter on a more recent episode of WTF said that they asked him about it during a pre taping Q&A and he claimed that “the ball is in Marc’s court”.

Okay, I’ve never gotten in so early on an AMA before, I think I’m getting a little carried away here. I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for doing this.

That's a lot of stuff. I will try to answer the email. Shit moving to fast here.

Hey Marc! I've really been impressed with your WTF guests as of late. Are there any comedy heroes you have left to meet?

Newhart. Shecky Greene. Few others.

Dear Marc, I’m a big fan. I can honestly say that the WTF episode with Patrice O’neal is one of the main reasons I started beating my wife.

All joking aside, if you could bring one person who is no longer living back to life for 90 minutes with you in the garage, who would it be and what would you want to learn from them?

PS: Two weeks ago, there was a thread on Reddit that asked “what is your favorite podcast?”, and I said mine was WTF. None of these other fuckers even gave me an upvote. Welcome to Reddit.

Pryor. I would like to know his heart.

What's the deal with the beef with you and Patton Oswalt?

There isn't one. We have a 'fun tension'. That's what I call it anyway.

Did the disappearance of Boomer feed into your fear that something that you care about can just go away. In other words, will you ever be ready to be a father?

Edited to say: BOOMER LIVES!

Yeah, but I knew that fear when the wife split. I;m just panicky about the kid thing but I think it will happen.

Is there any joke, bit, skit, gag, impression, or podcast out there in the comedy world that you wish you thought of first?

Not that I can think of.

For the past 100 or so episodes of WTF, it seems like you've been featuring more guests that aren't comedians, and aren't even necessarily people the majority of your listeners would know of before listening. Nothing wrong with that, but I feel like the original tone of the show has shifted from comedy and interesting icons (actors, artists, etc.) to more... people Marc hasn't talked to already and might be willing to come to the garage.

(And not that those people aren't good interviews and interesting to learn about, but... it feels like you've exhausted a certain level of guest... downshifted?)

Is there going to be a point when you revisit guests from previous episodes (outside of a live ep.) and have another talk? Do you have an desire to do that?

I get more opportunities now to talk with people I may not have thought to talk to or though of at all. Honestly, some of those are my favorite interviews. Totally surprising and interesting. So, you're wrong. I may revisit. Don't plan to soon.